Florida District Aims to Add 1,600 Security Cameras

Officials from Lake County Schools are working on a plan to add almost 1,600 security cameras to district middle and high school campuses.

By Jessica Davis

May 14, 2019

Officials from Lake County Schools are working on a plan to add almost 1,600 security cameras to district middle and high school campuses.

The proposal would be paid for by the Educational Facilities Security Grant. The district has already upgraded security cameras at its elementary school campuses.

The district’s plan involves the installation of 407 indoor cameras and 1,185 outdoor cameras on various middle and high school campuses. The purchase and installation would cost $902,263.

"As law enforcement officers, we want every single tool possible that will ensure the safety of the students in the schools and help us to make a response quickly and effective in a given situation," said Lt. John Herrell from the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

The video surveillance upgrades would be the latest in a series of security upgrades the district has implemented since the Parkland, Fla. shooting that took place February 2018.

Since the school year began, nine of Lake County’s schools have allowed a volunteer administrator to carry a firearm on campus. Schools also added security guardians to campuses that did not have a school resource officer present.

Deputies have begun using a mobile app that allows emergency responders to quickly access detailed floor plans of a campus during an emergency.

"If they're not familiar with that school, they can open up the map on their smartphone and they can more easily and more quickly get there," Herrell said.

According to the district, if the proposal is passed, most of the cameras would be installed before the 2019-2020 school year begins. The project would be completed by the end of the year.